


Comfort Zone

by sarurin



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Developing Relationship, M/M, Pokemon GO - Freeform, Romantic Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-24
Updated: 2016-08-24
Packaged: 2018-08-10 20:45:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7860502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarurin/pseuds/sarurin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Friendships come at the most unexpected times, under the most unexpected circumstances, but what comes after is even less predictable. They bond over a game and nothing is ever the same.</p><p>  <i>Hey, did you know that your best friend is going on date with my best friend?</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Comfort Zone

 It was an understatement to say he was lost. In fact, he really had no idea where he was even though the station was a couple of blocks away. Once again, he had gotten carried away. He had let his excitement get the best of him and wandered off farther than he really should have.

He had left his house around noon and hadn’t returned since. It was Sunday, so he figured it would be fine. He didn’t necessarily have anything planned for later either. However, he knew Tsukishima wasn’t going to be happy to know that he had gone off too far without company. Again.

He usually didn’t go out much, but recently things had slowly started to change because of the release of the game he had waited all summer for; Pokemon Go. Tsukishima, naturally, had downloaded it for his sake and for a while, they played together. His best friend’s enthusiasm was barely noticeable, but he followed him around as he battled for gyms and searched for his favorites.

Eventually, he started heading out on his own, making and setting time aside for it after practice. He started playing the game constantly, as often as he could to level up, much to Tsukishima’s displeasure. It didn’t take him long to become disinterested and it only became worse when his other teammates joined the craze.

Regardless, he knew better. He was well aware that it wasn’t safe to be out so late and much less alone in an unknown, unfamiliar area. Tsukishima was right to worry since, at times, he tended to get distracted. He had heard stories on the news and on the internet about incidents that had happened to players before. It wasn't the safest thing. Then, the tracking system wasn’t the best either and that was always part of the problem.

He was always told by others to be careful, but more often than not, he would forget. He was told to invite others when he went out, but, again, he preferred to be on his own if he wasn’t with Tsukishima.

There was a Pokestop nearby and what was better, someone had kindly placed a lure module. Curious, he went toward it since, technically, it wasn’t that much further away. When he arrived, there were already a few people there; some sitting near the bench, others leaning against the brick hedge. It wasn’t surprising, of course, and he tried to ignore the groups without grabbing much attention.

Despite his attempts, there was a person that he instantly recognized sitting nearby. Yamaguchi’s eyes shot wide open the moment he saw him.

He was on his phone, so he didn’t notice him at first. After a while of being stared at,  he looked up and tilted his head the minute he caught sight of him. He stared at him right back and for a moment, he seemed to be puzzled by his presence. Yamaguchi silently gulped The words seemed to stutter right out of his mouth without his permission. “Nekoma? I mean, you’re...from Nekoma?”

Kozume Kenma, Nekoma’s setter and Hinata’s much talked about friend, was right in front of him playing Pokemon Go as well. Yamaguchi approached him and gave him a small smile, but the setter just showed further confusion.

“I’m sorry. Do I know you?”

It hadn’t occurred to him that maybe he wasn’t remembered. Yamaguchi bit his lip, scratching the back of his neck and turning to look somewhere else to erase the sudden awkwardness. He could easily introduce himself, but at that point, he prefered to leave it be. He would only feel worse otherwise. “Nevermind.”

He sat a bit further away from him and waited, like many others, for something other than a Rattata or a Pidgey.  The thirty minutes he spent there went by quicker than he would have expected to and pretty soon, he was left there alone with Kenma. He received a text from Tsukishima not long after, asking him where he was and warning him not to get carried away. It was already a bit too late for that, but he didn’t tell him.

Yamaguchi decided to leave without saying anything else, but it was Nekoma’s setter that ended up surprising him. “You’re...from Karasuno.”

So he was remembered after all. He couldn’t help but sigh.

“Yeah, I’m with the volleyball team. I saw you during the training camp.” He didn’t mean to be so open suddenly, but it was relieving to know that he had at least noticed him around. He scooted himself a bit closer to the setter and thankfully, he didn’t seem to mind. “Hinata talks about you a lot too and…”

He paused since Kenma had looked up from his phone at the mentioning of Hinata. He briefly smiled and nodded. Yamaguchi had never seen him that way, but it seemed that he was rather fond of his loud teammate. Then again, Hinata always had a way of warming up people’s hearts. He was no exception to that.

“I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi. I don’t play in the team as much as I would like, but I’m hoping that’ll change...someday.”

“I see.” Their phones buzzed around the same time and they both instantly checked to see what had come; Slowbro. “Kozume Kenma. It’s nice to meet you.”

Obviously, Yamaguchi didn’t know him enough to start a random conversation, but he was curious and it seemed Nekoma’s setter was into Pokemon Go as much as he was. He cleared his throat to break the developing silence, catching the Slowbro after a few attempts. He was suddenly nervous, so his finger was throwing the Pokeball everywhere. Another frustrating thing about the game.

“How many...have you gotten so far?” It was a simple question, but it caught Kenma’s attention. Instead of telling him, he scooted closer and started showing him all his favorite and his strongest. Yamaguchi was impressed, but at the same time, he wasn’t surprised. “You’re in level twenty-four already?”

He nodded as he added another lure module to the stop. They sat there, close to one another, for a while longer. Their small chatter continued, but what surprised him most of all was how comfortable he was being there with him.  

“So, umm, are you here by yourself?” Yamaguchi asked him as he looked around. There were a few people gathered around again, but he couldn’t recognize or tell if they were from Nekoma. Kenma didn’t seem to be acquainted with them either.

“Well, Kuroo was following me until a while ago. I think he stayed behind somewhere trying to win a gym or something. I got tired of waiting, so I went ahead and ended up here after finding a Pinsir.” He shrugged and looked at him in the eyes after quickly catching a weaker Venonat with ease. “And you? Are you here by yourself?”

Yamaguchi reluctantly nodded, but he was undoubtedly getting nervous again. After all, he had never notice how intense and pretty Kenma’s eyes were. He could stare at them forever, but he was sure that he would be swallowed into them if he did.

“Yeah. It was suppose to be just a quick walk around the neighborhood, but...I guess I got carried away and lost track of time somehow. Tsukki usually accompanies me, though.”

He sounded disappointed, but really, it didn’t matter to him whether he played alone or not. Strangely, Kenma seemed to understand. He didn’t ask him for explanations. Instead, he smiled and Yamaguchi watched in awe as the setter's careful expression soften. Yamaguchi gulped and turned away, but it was Kenma’s vibrating phone that interrupted the brief silence.

“Oh, it’s Kuroo. Guess he’s looking for me.” He lazily stood up with a yawn as Yamaguchi quietly watched him. It was probably weird for him to think, but truly, Kenma was a pretty person. “Maybe we can play together sometime.”

“Y-yeah, sure!” He sounded more excited than he would’ve liked to admit. “That would be great.”

 

**…**

 

He hadn’t seen or heard from Kenma in a week which, really, wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. He had no way to contact him since, because of the spur of the moment, he had completely forgotten to exchange numbers and emails with the setter. They had both forgotten since the suggestion, the invitation had come from nowhere.

Yamaguchi thought that would be the end of it and that their encounter would soon become a mere coincidence of the past. Nothing more, nothing less. Even so, a part of him couldn’t help but feel upset. He had looked forward to playing the game with someone that was just as equally interested as he was.

With a sigh, he headed back to class when his name was suddenly called from the other end of the hallway. He turned around to find Hinata sprinting in his direction and he could almost swear that he was glowing. “Yamaguchi! Yamaguchi!”

“What’s wrong, Hinata? Did something happen?”

“Kenma asked about you. He said that you guys accidently met up the other day.” His teammate leaned in closer, probably wanting to know more. “He said that you seemed like a very cool person and that he was comfortable sitting with you.”

“Are you sure you should be telling me this?” Yamaguchi didn’t have to see himself to know he was blushing bright red. He could feel his entire face burning. He didn’t quite understand why that small fact made him so happy. Maybe he just liked being noticed by someone so cool and talented like Kenma. It was the same with Tsukishima from that perspective.

“Yeah, I actually bumped into him on Sunday when I was playing and catching Pokemon. It was kind of surprising. I mean, I knew he liked video games...because of you, but I never thought he’d be so dedicated about it.” He was being sincere, but it wasn’t what Hinata wanted to hear.

Or at least that’s what he figured. The smaller male kept leaning in closer and closer as if he were desperately demanding for answers.“We...he said that we should hang out and play, but we never got around to exchanging numbers.”

That was enough to send a lively spark through Hinata’s eyes. He nodded like if he understood the circumstances and dashed back down the hallway in the same direction he had come from. On the other hand, he was left completely confused as to what had just happened.

 

**…**

 

When he received a text later that evening, he almost fell from his bed to the floor. He read it over and over again to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. But, there was no denying it. The message had been made for him and no one else. It excited him greatly. His happiness and beating heart soared at once. He had been dozing off, but now his exhaustion had suddenly vanished.

 

_Hey. I got your number from Shouyou. I hope that’s okay?_

 

Yamaguchi paced around his room for the longest time, unsure how he was suppose to reply. He never thought that Kenma would actually go that far to reach him. He nervously pulled on his hair, pondering the same thing as the minutes slowly continued to go by.

His reaction definitely wasn’t normal. He barely knew Kenma at all. He wasn’t suppose to react that way, but then again, he considered himself fortunate for bumping into him that day.

 

_Kozume Kenma? Yeah, that’s totally fine! Thanks for messaging and letting me know!_

 

He sounded too formal and awkward, but he wasn’t sure how else to respond. Hinata had specifically said that the setter had felt comfortable around him. It probably didn’t mean much, but Yamaguchi had kindly accepted it as a compliment. He smiled to himself, dropping himself over the bed and landing over a pile of pillows he had adjusted earlier.

For some reason, he couldn’t get himself to calm down and waiting for a reply only made him feel worse. He remembered their training camp with Nekoma. He remembered seeing Kenma around with Hinata. He remembered briefly admiring him from afar and thinking how great it would be to talk to him to that way too. Now, that was all happening and he could hardly even believe it.

 

_I finally got Gyarados._

 

Yamaguchi immediately forgot about the strange jitters he was feeling in the pit of stomach and sat up, thinking how lucky he was to get such a strong Pokemon. Because of that, the small talk continued; quick, short messages that would probably seem pointless to anyone else.

They talked about their caught and evolved Pokemon at first. Yamaguchi was, obviously, proud to acknowledge that he wasn’t that far behind from the setter even though he lived in the countryside. He didn’t have Gyarados, but he have about 350 Magikarp candies. He was close enough.

Even so, their conversation went astray to other topics and eventually they both ended up complaining to the other about their overprotective childhood friend. Yamaguchi had never really pictured Kuroo to be that way, but he supposed that was one of the many things in common he had with the setter. It brought a smile to his face imagining Kuroo being the same way with Kenma as Tsukishima was with him. It was endearing.

 

_So, we should hang out again on Sunday and play Pokemon or something?_

 

Yamaguchi thought that was a great idea, so he immediately agreed without hesitating. After all, gaining a new friend was always a blessing. He seriously couldn’t have been more thrilled about it.

 

_Sure! That would be awesome if that’s okay with you?_

 

_Of course. It’s been nice talking to you.._

 

**_…_ **

 

He was in a happy mood and Tsukishima was quick to notice. He had been staring at him in silent for a while as they ate their lunch together. Yamaguchi could tell that there was so much that he wanted to ask him, but for some reason or another, he was resilient enough to keep his questions to himself.

“You seem...chipper today.” He finally stated and Yamaguchi couldn’t help but nod. He had probably been so obvious up until that point. It made no sense to deny it. “Something good happen lately?”

Still, as cheery and excited as he was, telling him that he was meeting Kenma that weekend was a bit embarrassing. He wasn’t sure how would react since the setter was almost a stranger. They had agreed to meet up to play Pokemon Go and while they had texted a lot, it would still seem weird explaining it. After all, things like that didn’t naturally happen. “Yeah, I guess you can say that?”

“Hmm.” Tsukishima wasn’t pleased with his response. He placed his drink back on table and discreetly pulled out his phone. He pulled something up and turned the screen so he could see. “Then, what does this mean?”

It was a message from Kuroo. The contents baffled him, making him laugh nervously as he scratched the side of his cheek.

 

_Hey, did you know that my best friend is going on date with your best friend???? ヽ（´ー｀）┌_

 

“Well, I wouldn’t call it date.” Yamaguchi bluntly stated which caused the other to curiously lift an eyebrow. Really, it’s not. I...barely know him I guess. I bumped into him the other day. He was also playing Pokemon Go, so we randomly started talking. He was waiting for Kuroo at the time.”

“How far did you end up going to _accidentally_ bump into them? Didn’t I tell you not to get carried away?” He didn’t understand his sulking, but he didn’t bother to make a comment on it. He knew it would make the situation worse. Instead, he shrugged and continued eating his lunch. “You invited him to play with you?”

He worried about him too much, but, then again, that just proved that he cared despite cold exterior. “No, actually. Kenma suggested it, but I thought he wasn’t serious about it. I thought he just invited me to be nice or out of courtesy. He might have now that I think about it, but the whole thing turned out to be a real.”

He avoided Tsukishima’s gaze for the rest of the conversation. The truth was that he was absolutely relieved and delighted by the fact that he was going to hang out with someone like Kenma. However, he was easy to read in such cases and he didn’t want his best friend to be aware of what was really going on.

He would never hear the end of it.

After all, how likely was it to develop a crush on someone so quickly? He couldn’t face the truth, but a strong friendship was the most he could hope for. “It’s nothing like a date, though. He has no one that wants to seriously play with him and neither do I, I think.”

He paused and took a deep breath. His heart felt like it was about to pound right out of his chest. “I’ve talked to him a bit and he seems like a really...cool person. Hinata has talked a lot about him, too. He’s…comfortable to be around.”

“If you say so.”

 

**…**

 

He never failed to be impressed with Kenma and his gaming skills. Since they had last coincidentally met, he had already advanced more than a few levels with a lot of high combat power Pokemons that he could never imagine obtaining. In fact, just evolving a Magikarp had become a hassle.

They had already walked around the main areas and subareas of Tokyo which, unsurprisingly, had more Pokestops, Pokemon and gyms than he had ever encountered since starting the game. It was pretty amazing and he could see how Kenma had progressed so quickly. He lived closer to the city and he simply didn’t. That was just one of the few advantages he didn’t have.

Either way, their day together started out pleasant. The sun wasn’t too hot. The sky was cloudy enough and there were occasional cool breezes. Literally, the day was perfect to be out and about the city. Then, what was better, was that he was with Kenma. He wasn’t used to being in such environments, but it wasn’t so terribly bad. Better than he had expected.

“Stay close or you’ll get lost.” Kenma had told him, lifting up his cap to take a quick look around. He seemed to be used to it which was pretty stunning to Yamaguchi. “Maybe we could stop by to eat somewhere?”

They hadn’t been out much and it didn’t help that he had arrived half an hour late to their meet up location. Even so, Kenma wasn’t bothered by it at all and he had more than a few ways to occupy himself as he waited. If it wasn't with one game, then it was with another and he was still a bit curious to ask what he was carrying around in his backpack.

Contrary to what he had originally believed, Kenma didn’t really have anything particularly planned, so they aimlessly walked around, enjoying each other’s company with small chatter as they played. Eventually, the crowded city tired him out and Kenma rapidly caught notice of it. He suggested them to stop and eat somewhere, an offer that Yamaguchi automatically accepted. His enthusiastic response caused the setter to briefly smile and once again, he was blown away by his beautiful features.

Yamaguchi wondered if something was seriously wrong with him.

Thankfully, they ended up going to a remotely known burger place and he was able to order a decent serving of fries. They both sat in the same table, across from one another, but there were times when Yamaguchi could feel the setter discreetly looking in his direction.

He was staring at him.

It wasn't anything intense, but it did feel like he was quietly being analyzed and examined. He tried not to think much of it especially when he would suddenly catch Kenma smiling to himself. It made him nervous. He couldn’t get himself to calm down in the slightest.

“Does...Kuroo know you’re here?” Yamaguchi suddenly interrupted his own train of thought before he went insane. Now that they were so close this way, it was actually quite easy to imagine themselves going on a date. “Tsukki kept bothering me about it nonstop. I think he was just worried about it.”

“Yeah, I told him about it. Didn’t think he would make such a fuss, though. He wanted join us and he told me he was going to invite Tsukishima too. I somehow convinced him not to in end. He always lags behind whenever we play.” Kenma tilted his head as he continued to poke around with his food.

“I’ve been wondering, Yamaguchi.” For some reason, hearing his name from the setter sent a sweet chill up his spine. “About Karasuno, what position do you play?”

He tried to hide his disappointment, but a loud sigh still managed to escape his lips. He quietly shook his head as a result of it. “I’m the only first year that’s not a regular and it’s because of me that we ended up losing against Aobajousai…”

“It’s called a team for a reason.”

“Yeah, I’m probably giving myself too much credit, but I did fail completely.” Yamaguchi shrugged before he plopped another fry inside his mouth. “But, I promised myself I would get better. I’m still practicing my serves more than anything. It’s the only weapon I have, so I have to make the most of it. Or at least that’s what Shimada tells me anyways.”

“Pinch server, then?” Kenma asked, probably for further emphasis. He nodded, but what came next caught him completely off guard. “If you want, I can help you. I could, you know, give you some tosses to practice with. I know we live far away from one another, but maybe we could arrange something that could work. I don’t know. That’s only if you want to.”

“Yes...that would be great.” He was suddenly left out of breath, his hands slightly shaking from the gist of it all. A part of him couldn’t believe what he was actually suggesting. From what he heard from Hinata, the setter rarely made an effort to go out of his way for anything.

And yet, he was willing to help him with his serves. Yamaguchi didn’t think his crush could get any worse, but obviously, he had been mistaken. He could feel himself practically beaming with delight.

“I mean, yes! That would be great! It would help me so much! Thank you!”

 

**…**

 

 **Kenma (=^・^=)** :

_My 10km egg finally hatched a while ago._

_It was an Eevee._

**You:**

_Ah, that’s super cool! Mine hatched too, but it was 2km one. I got Geodude!_

 

 **Kenma (=^・^=)** :

_Nice._

 

 **Kenma (=^・^=)** :

_What did you name it?_

 

**You:**

_I don’t usually name them??_

 

 **Kenma (=^・^=)** :

_Hmm. I named mine Tadashi and I’m going to evolve it to be the strongest Flareon I own._

_I’m looking forward to it._

 

**Author's Note:**

> I know I haven't written anything in forever, but this was sitting in my drafts and I had to post it eventually, right? There's tons of fics I should be updating and instead, I work on this. I'm so sorry. Also, what are tags omg!!!
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much reading! And I apologize for my mistakes!
> 
> I'm not mentioning teams because I'm bias and I'll toward my own :)


End file.
